DISGRACELAND — Bonus Episode: The Epstein Files and Every Musician Mentioned In Them (We Think)

Host: Jake Brennan
Date: February 19, 2026
Podcast: Disgraceland (Double Elvis Productions)

Episode Overview

This bonus "afterparty" episode of Disgraceland is dedicated to exploring every known mention of a musician in the recently released Epstein files. Host Jake Brennan digs through the dizzying array of documents now public from the Department of Justice, demystifying what it means (and doesn’t mean) for a celebrity’s name to appear in this notorious set of records. The episode aims to separate fact from headline-fueled speculation, providing context around each cited artist and examining how Epstein’s wide network of connections blurred the lines between association and culpability.

Brennan also takes listener calls and previews upcoming Disgraceland content, but the heart of the episode is a sharp, darkly funny, and occasionally sobering look at the intersection of music’s biggest names and one of history's most infamous scandals.

Main Theme and Purpose

• Purpose: To break down which musicians are actually mentioned in the Epstein files, in what context, and what, if anything, those mentions mean. Jake Brennan aims to counter kneejerk reactions and viral speculation with clear-eyed analysis.
• Theme: Fame, networking, and the dangers of guilt-by-association in an age of massive information dumps (and misinformation).
• Tone: irreverent, skeptical, confessional, part true-crime podcast, part music-nerd therapy session.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Are the Epstein Files? (08:40)

• Scope: Millions of DOJ documents including emails, texts, FBI reports, and memos regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s life and crimes.
• Caution: "What the files are NOT is a definitive sort of case closed... In fact, it's the exact opposite of that. What the files are, they're... millions and millions and millions of government documents." — Jake Brennan (11:10)
• Implication: Being mentioned “in the files” can mean almost anything, from being a subject of an email blast, to being a target, to just being a name on a list—context is everything.
• Quote: "Just because an individual is mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein files, that doesn't really mean anything. Context is everything." — Jake Brennan (15:05)

2. The Nature of Epstein’s Networking and Star-F*ing (15:40)**

• Epstein operated as a connector and social climber, hobnobbing with "masters of the universe" (politicians, artists, tech moguls, and musicians).
• Some musicians hit him up for money or opportunities; many were just discussed in emails.
• "Epstein...just a major networker and star fucker who…considered himself a master of the universe." — Jake Brennan (16:40)

3. Why Are So Many Musicians Named? (17:00)

• Mass invites, industry events, and publicity lists flood the files with artist names.
• Innocuous mentions can still go viral and harm reputations through out-of-context reading.
• "You could literally find Ringo Starr's name in the Epstein files as part of some venue advertisement. And you could factually claim that Ringo Starr is in the Epstein files. Doesn't mean shit is my point." — Jake Brennan (15:27)

4. Deep Dive: Prominent Artists in the Epstein Files (20:37–34:50)

Elton John

• Context: Epstein wanted into Elton John’s 2014 Oscars party; PRs working for Epstein lobbied for passes.
• Implication: No criminal context—shows Epstein’s uninterrupted access to elite events even after his 2008 conviction.
• Memorable Email Read: Details of parties, name-drops (Jack White, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah), gives a portrait of how names get swept into these archives.

Jack White

• Mentioned incidentally in a publicist’s email update to Epstein about a movie screening (“It Might Get Loud”). No personal connection. (22:30)

Elvis Costello

• Appears as a six-page biography PDF—seemingly a file passed around for reference, not a sign of connection or wrongdoing.

Mick Jagger

• Photo evidence: At Clinton Foundation event appearing with Epstein/Maxwell.
• Unclear Timelines: Likely post-2008, cannot confirm.
• Assessment: No indication of criminal intent or knowledge; quotation:
  • “Mick is not pleased. He's not sitting there all chummy chummy…Epstein looks pleased as punch. He is psyched. He is star fucker pumped." — Jake Brennan (28:29)
• Point: Presence in a photo does not imply complicity—the real context is thin.

Michael Jackson & Diana Ross

• Photos: On Epstein’s plane, but likely pre-2008 revelations.
• Documented Statement: A victim claimed Epstein tried to get Jackson to accept a massage from an underage girl; Jackson declined.
• Quote: “There is information in the files indicating that Michael Jackson was expressly NOT interested in Epstein’s young girls.” — Jake Brennan (31:45)

Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley

• All Contexts: Mentioned in passing, for trivial reasons (e.g., followed online, or as part of ads/conversation).
• No criminal or suspicious implication.
• "Mentions are innocuous. They are not really worth mentioning here, except to say that there's nothing in the context that indicates anything resembling a crime." — Jake Brennan (33:05)

Bono

• Cited as another high-culture reference point; “no there there.”

Jay Z

• Potentially more substance: There’s "an actual FBI crisis intake document from 2019 that reports on a victim's alleged experience with Jay Z and Jeffrey Epstein." (Details reserved for All Access members.)
• Brennan promises an extended, detailed discussion behind the paywall.

Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell

• Not present in the files, despite persistent online speculation.

5. Listener Correspondence (37:57–46:00)

• Community engagement is a core part of the afterparty: listeners share memories and feedback.
  • One caller, Aspen (42:25), recounts a close encounter with Art Alexakis (Everclear) at 16, humorously reflecting on 90s-era backstage culture.
  • Notably, listeners request episodes, reflect on music history, and riff with the host about grunge, punk, and more. The show is as much for the die-hard music fans as the true crime junkies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"Just because an individual is mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein files, that doesn't really mean anything. Context is everything."
— Jake Brennan (15:05)

"Epstein, unlike anyone I’ve ever come across in any of my research, just a major networker and star fucker who considered himself a master of the universe."
— Jake Brennan (16:40)

"You could factually claim that Ringo Starr is in the Epstein files. Doesn’t mean shit is my point."
— Jake Brennan (15:27)

"Mick is not pleased. He’s not sitting there all chummy chummy…Epstein looks pleased as punch. He is psyched. He is star fucker pumped."
— Jake Brennan (28:29)

“There is information in the files indicating that Michael Jackson was expressly NOT interested in Epstein’s young girls.”
— Jake Brennan (31:45)

"These mentions are innocuous. There is no context that indicates anything resembling a crime."
— Jake Brennan (33:05)

Important Timestamps

• [01:08] — Episode introduction and overview; Brennan sets intent to demystify names in the Epstein files.
• [08:40] — Explaining the nature and limits of “the Epstein files.”
• [15:05] — On the perils of name-checking without context.
• [20:37] — Brennan begins detailed review of the musicians in the files.
• [22:30] — Publicist email (Jack White’s movie, name-dropping culture).
• [28:29] — Deep-dive on Mick Jagger photos.
• [31:45] — Michael Jackson accused, but shown to have rebuffed Epstein’s setup.
• [33:05] — Summary of other musician mentions as non-suspicious.
• [37:57] — Listener correspondence and voicemails.
• [42:25] — Aspen’s story about Everclear gig (funny, cautionary).
• [46:00–end] — Housekeeping, tease for Grateful Dead/Bohemian Grove/Epstein crossover, All Access content plug.

Conclusion & Final Remarks

Jake Brennan’s bottom line:

• Most musician mentions in the Epstein files are either promotional, circumstantial, or entirely out of any criminal context.
• Some (e.g., Jay Z) require more thorough scrutiny and are addressed in extended, members-only content.
• “Context is everything”—vigilance against viral misinformation is crucial in the court of public opinion.
• The music industry’s orbit around power (and infamy) is as messy and human as the artists it produces; Disgraceland aims to make sense of that mess.

For detailed episode archives and exclusives, listeners are encouraged to visit www.disgracelandpod.com. Listener engagement is welcomed and often shapes future content.